Underwater inflatable buoy



June 21, 1966 M. M. WALLER ET AL 3,256,538

UNDERWATER INFLATABLE BUOY Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORE? MICHAEL M. WALLER BY 660/265 FPASEQ ATTORNEY June 21, 1966 M. M. WALLER ET AL 3,256,538

UNDERWATER INFLATABLE BUOY Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LIQUID GAS CONTAINER F 5. .3

INVENTOR MICHAEL M. WALLEE BY GEO/26E K. FEASEQ ATTORNEY United States Patent UNDERWATER INFLATABLE BUOY Milton M. Waller,-Scotch Plains, and George K. Fraser, West Caldwell, N.J., assignors to Vare Industries, Inc, Roselle, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 338,038 Claims. (Cl. 9-8) This invention relates to an underwater buoy and in particular is directed to an underwater buoy which is inflatable.

One object of the invent-ion is to provide an inflatable buoy usable in salvage operations; recovery of objects on the ocean bottom; introducing additional floatation to underwater objects, equipment and devices.

Another object of the invention is to produce a buoy that is provided with its buoyancy characteristics after it has been submerged or attached to the equipment that is to become partially or fully buoyant.

A still further object is to provide an inflatable buoy having compressive fluid element therein disposed to become released and to thereby render buoyancy to the said buoy.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable buoy whose buoyancy is controllable in accordance with the degree of buoyancy desirable and needed to effect underwater operations.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a reading of the specifications and a study of the accompanying drawings and wherein;

FIGURE 1 shows an inflatable buoy submerged and connected via a cable to a surface vessel from which it is controlled and attached to a piece of underwater equipment.

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1 and wherein the buoy is controlled from an underwater vessel through the medium of sonar signals or by connecting cable.

FIGURE 3 shows the construction details of another inflatable buoy and the reinforcement frame therefor.

FIGURE 4 shows a collapsable type inflatable buoy according to the invention.

Now referring to the drawings and particularly with respect to FIGURE 1 there is shown an inflatable buoy according to one embodiment of the invention. In particular buoy 1 comprises a cylindrical chamber 2 having a buoyant mass 3 at the upper end thereof representing the closure portion 4 of the chamber. The lower end of the chamber is preferably open or exposed and has attached thereto around the periphery thereof 5 a special supporting bridle 6 disposed to become attached to and guiding underwater operations.

carry external loads such as salvage material and the like.

provides storage of compressed gas or liquid gas under suitable storage conditions and being provided with releasable valve mechanism 8 operable in accordance with directives that are predetermined. The release of the valve mechanism causes the gas to flow within the cham ber, the speed at which this flow is maintained is dependent upon the buoyancy. requirements of the particular operation being undertaken at the time. The gas fills the chamber and renders it buoyant, the more gas released the greater the buoyancy of the said chamber.

In operations to make the chamber easily maneuverable under water, prior to its having received its buoyant characteristic by the release of gas, the upper portion 3 of the chamber is preferably provided with a buoyant characteristic by utilization of permanent inflatable material, such as those plastic materials having buoyant characteristics, so as to cause equal balancing forces to operate on the chamber. A typical buoyant plastic material is 3,255,538 Patented June 21, 1966 Ice the type produced by General Motors Corp., Inland Div., and called Inlyte Compound. When balancing forces are thus acting on the chamber, it can be easily maneuverable under water and placed in any appropriate position, attached to the material to receive buoyancy. Another aspect of the easily maneuverable chamber, prior to release of the gas, is the maintenance thereof in an upright position so that the subsequent release of gas will assure the retention thereof within the chamber after the water has been driven or forced out. Any suitable buoyant material may be used at the upper portion 3 of the chamber so long as it provides the equal balancing force previously mentioned.

The gas introduced within the chamber can be of any suitable variety and as some typical examples helium can be used and bottles of carbon dioxide (CO generally used as fire extinguishers, and liquid nitrogen, liquid helium, etc. Any of the liquid gases, which can be maintained in the liquid form for sufiicient time to allow the operation intended, may be usealble, of course the lighter weight gases being more desirable. In particular the liquid form of the gas is preferable because of the weight and volume advantage it presents and because of the ability to make gas at the higher pressures normally encountered at the great depths at which these operations generally prevail. As a typical example, liquid nitrogen would permit operations exceeding 20,000 feet in the ocean. Further, the slow bleedotf time of liquid nitrogen makes it preferable for these operations.

In FIGURE 2 the underwater buoy may be under the control and supervision of an underwater vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may be an underwater search type vehicle having television apparatus for viewing purposes and The vehicle may, under certain circumstances, guide the buoy 1 in any predetermined manner and direction to cause the said buoy to become adhered and affixed to any member requiring buoyancy. The buoy when placed at the desired location, the air within the chamber will be released and the desired buoyancy effect achieved.

There is shown in FIGURE 3 another buoy arrangement which in the maincomprises a metal frame 15 about which a plastic or waterproof fabric may be placed and the gas storage and handling equipment suitably mounted thereto. The frame, as shown, provides the fabric container with sufficient stiffening effect to prevent its collapse. The supporting bridle 16 is fastened to the lower extremity of the frame structure and tapers down to an apex 17 to which is attached a lifting cable used to attach the buoy to the salvage material 18. The frame 15 is suitably provided with buoyant material at the upper portion thereof to render the buoy weightless when in water, as previously mentioned, and to hold the buoy erect so that the open end being downward, the released gas will be retained.

Finally, there is shown in FIGURE 4 a plastic or fabric bag type of buoy which is collapsable and may be easily transportable. The collapsable buoy 20 shown in FIGURE 4 has attached thereto a supporting bridge 21 similar to the one shown in FIGURE 3 but which is foldable in a manner to make the whole buoy one in which a minimum amount of space and weight is used. The

collapsable buoy may have arranged therein the gas storage container, previously mentioned, the gas being released after the lbuoy has been attached to the item requiring buoyancy.

It may be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made to alter the configuration or structure of the items which go to make up the invention but that such items do not alter the basic intent of the invention as embodied herein.

Having defined the invention, what is claimed is:

- 1. An inflatable buoy for providing buoyancy to underwater materials comprising: i

(a) an enclosure having singular co-aXial open and closure end,

(b) buoyant means at said closure end to render the enclosure partially weightless but in an erect attitude when submerged,

(c) controllable inflating means, including compressive fluid in said enclosure and forming an integral part thereof for rendering the said enclosure buoyant, and

(d) bridle support means connected to the open end of said enclosure for supporting and carrying the said materials.

2. An inflatable buoy according to claim 1 and wherein said compressive fluid includes liquid nitrogen.

3. An inflatable buoy according to claim 1 and wherein said compressive fluid includes liquid helium.

4. An inflatable buoy according to claim 1 and wherein said compressive fluid includes carbon dioxide.

5. An inflatable buoy according to claim 1 and where- 4 in said closure and buoyant means includes permanent inflatable material plastic.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner.

20 R. G. BESHA, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INFLATABLE BUOY FOR PROVIDING BUOYANCY TO UNDER WATER MATERIALS COMPRISING: (A) AN ENCLOSURE HAVING SINGULAR CO-AXIAL OPEN AND CLOSURE END, (B) BUOYANT MEANS AT SAID CLOSURE END TO RENDER THE ENCLOSURE PARTIALLY WEIGHTLESS BUT IN AN ERECT ATTITUDE WHEN SUBMERGED, (C) CONTROLLABLE INFLATING MEANS, INCLUDING COMPRESSIVE FLUID IN SAID ENCLOSURE AND FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART THEREFOR RENDERING THE SAID ENCLOSURE BUOYANT, AND (D) BRIDLE SUPPORT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OPEN END OF SAID ENCLOSURE FOR SUPPORTING AND CARRYING THE SAID MATERIALS. 